russian autocracy in 1855 Flashcards
(56 cards)
1
Q
define autocracy
A
no limits to a ruler’s power; such a ruler was called an autocrat
2
Q
what does Robert Service say Russia’s main problems were?
A
- geographical, social, intellectual, economic and even religious divisions
- emphasises the localism and lack of national consciousness
- held together by reverence for the tsar
3
Q
define localism
A
loyalty to the local community or local area
4
Q
what do the ‘collected laws of the russian empire’ entail, and who and when were they made by?
A
‘emperor of all the russias is an autocratic and unlimited monarch; God himself ordains that all must bow to his supreme power, not only out of fear but also out of conscience.’
tsar nicholas I in 1832
5
Q
what do the ‘collected laws of the russian empire’ entail, and who and when were they made by?
A
‘emperor of all the russias is an autocratic and unlimited monarch; God himself ordains that all must bow to his supreme power, not only out of fear but also out of conscience.’
tsar nicholas I in 1832
6
Q
define orthodox church
A
- result of a split in christianity in 11th century
- eastern orthodox developed own beliefs and rituals
7
Q
over-procurator
A
appointed by tsar from laity, highest church official
8
Q
holy synod
A
- group of bishops
- formed ruling body of orthodox church
- highest authority on rules, regulations, faith and church matters.
9
Q
edict
A
an official order issued by a person of authority
10
Q
provincial
A
to live away from the capital city
11
Q
who was the head of the orthodox church?
A
the tsar
12
Q
what were the tsar’s main advisory bodies?
A
- Imperial Council or Chancellery (35 to 60 nobles) picked by the tsar = personal and expert advice given
- Council of Ministers = 8 to 14 ministers in charge of government departments
- The Senate = supposed to see all government workings, however redundant by 1955
13
Q
where were the tsar and central government based?
A
capital of st petersburg
14
Q
what did the regime also rely on in terms of governance?
A
- provincial nobility, e.g. provincial governor of one of the empire’s fifty provinces.
15
Q
bureaucracy
A
- system of government in which government’s important decisions are taken by state officials rather than elected representatives
- made up from civil servants (paid noble officials)
16
Q
what was the bureaucracy made up of?
A
- 14 levels of ranks of civil servants that were paid noble officials
- each rank had own uniform, form of address and status
- would collect taxes or running a provincial post office
17
Q
how much did the army and navy cost annually?
A
- 45 percent of governments annual spending
18
Q
where did the army live, how big was it and who made it up?
A
- in a military colony
- 1.5 million
- conscripted serfs, forced into 25 years of service
19
Q
what ranks were there in the army?
A
- higher ranks for nobles who bought and sold commissions
- lower ranks for serfs, very harsh
20
Q
cossacks
A
- from ukraine and southern russia
- known for horsemanship skills and strong military traditions
- armed and with a horse
21
Q
military colony
A
where conscripts and their families lived and trained, under strict military discipline
22
Q
police state
A
- in which the activities of the people are closely monitored and controlled for political reasons
- was used to maintain autocracy
- prevented freedom of speech, freedom of press and travelling abroad
- political meetings and strikes became forbidden
23
Q
third section
A
- secret state security network
- strict surveillance over the population
- unlimited power to carry out raids
- could arrest, exile or imprison anyone suspected of anti-tsarist behaviours
24
Q
ratio example of rural state of russia by 1855, compared to britain
A
11:1 town dwellers
2:1 in britain
25
three reasons for russia’s economic backwardness
- landowning elite
- commitment to the serf-based economy
- the vast empire
26
why did russia’s vast empire hold back economic developments?
- much land was inhospitable
- barren countryside made communications weak
- much of natural resources were hard to get to
27
what was russia mainly exporting to europe during the mid-nineteenth century?
- timber, coal, oil, gold
28
how did commitment to a serf-based economy hinder russian economic developments?
- poor peasant majority (80% population) meant lack of middle class
- therefore meaning no internal market demand for a competitive economy
- money also was not a form of payment as they didnt have any, trades would happen meaning the russian currency did not develop
- landowning aristocracy, tsarist government and the army all reliant on serfs
29
what was serfdom?
- men and women who were ‘property’ to their land to work it
- bought and sold, subject to beatings, not allowed to marry without permission
- liable to conscription of the army
- state and private serfs
- most worked in village communes and run by strict village elders
30
what was a cottage industry and what significance did it have to serfs?
- work done in worker’s home or small workshop, weaving, small scale wood or metal work
- gave peasants some extra cash
31
proportions of state and private serfs
little over half were private, other half state owned
32
how many private serfs payed rent?
30% paid rent
70% provided labour
33
what restrictions did the landowning elite have on development of the russian economy?
- did not care for how efficient their estates were operated
- no opportunity for capital accumulation, as income was generally falling
- many forced into debt and had to mortgage their estates and even some had to mortgage their serfs
- did not seek alternative ways of making money as money was of such little use
34
why was there no opportunity for landowning elite to carry out capital accumulation?
- because of the rural population growth and the agricultural changes in western europe
- this increased the competitiveness and productivity of european markets
35
capital accumulation
building up money reserves to invest
36
social problems restricting russias economic developments
- largely divided between landowning elite and serfs themselves
- absence of a middle class that would create an internal market demand
- legal barriers limiting social mobility
37
obrok
rent paying private serfs
38
barshchina
labour providing private serfs
39
what did state serfs pay?
taxes and rent
40
what did private serfs pay?
obroks paid rent
bashchinas laboured for land
41
how was the tsarist government financed?
through taxes and dues
42
what taxes did the tsarist government impose?
- direct taxes = poll tax
- indirect taxes = tax on salt and vodka
43
details of the poll tax
- introduced 1719 to finance the army
- only taxes males.
44
what kinds of people did the land-owning elite include?
- clergy
- nobility
- civil and military officials
- army and naval officers
- royal court
45
what did the lower classes entail of?
- serfs
- urban artisans
- manufacturers
- merchants
- professionals (doctors, teachers and lawyers)
- educated intelligentsia
46
urban artisan
manual worker in a town who possessed some skills, a cobbler or a leather-maker
47
intelligentsia
- more educated members, writers, philosophers
- had both humanitarian and nationalist concerns
- many opposed the state for cultural, moral, religious philosophical and political reasons
48
what percentage of the russian population were russian in 1897?
55.6%
49
what minorities are there in russia by 1897?
22.4% ukrainian
7.9% poles/polish
5.9% belorussians (white russians)
5% jewish
2.5% finns
50
russian weakness in the crimean war
- outdated technology
- bad communications/transport across the empire
- weak navy
- inadequate leadership
- although had a large army, it lacked the flexibility and determination of the smaller british and french units
51
example of outdated technology in the crimean war
- navy still used sails and wooden bottomed ships compared to western navies that used metal cladding and were steam powered
52
examples of poor transport in the crimean war
- took the russian army longer to get equipment to the front line than it took france and britain to send soldiers and materials from channel ports
53
where were the russians defeated in the crimean war?
- at balaclava in october 1854 and at inkerman in november 1854
54
what were the impacts of the defeat in crimea?
- trade disruption
- peasant uprisings
- escalated intelligentsia
- treaty of paris 1856
55
what was the treaty of paris 1856?
- prevented russian warships from using the black sea in times of peace
56
when did nicholas I die?
march 1855
